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Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing


*From:* Bulletin Intelligence <Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com>
*Sent:* Tuesday, July 17, 2018 7:51 AM
*To:* Biden@BulletinIntelligence.com
*Subject:* Office of Vice President Biden Intelligence Briefing for
Tuesday, July 17, 2018


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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=000-348&t=c>
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[image: Image removed by sender. Office of Vice President Biden
Intelligence Briefing]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=001-265&t=c>

*To: Vice President Joe Biden*

*Tuesday, July 17, 2018 8:00 AM EDT*
Today's Table of Contents

*Biden in the News <#SECTION_1>*

• Biden Rips Trump Over Remarks At Press Conference With Putin. <#S1>

• Zogby: Biden Currently “Has The Strongest Case” For 2020 Democratic
Nomination. <#S2>

• Biden Slated To Address Southwestern Michigan Economic Club On Oct. 16.
<#S3>

*Leading the News <#SECTION_2>*

• Media Analyses: Trump Sides With Putin, Against US Intelligence On
Election Meddling. <#S4>

*Foreign Policy <#SECTION_3>*

• Trump Touts “Truly Great” NATO Summit. <#S5>

• Trump Again Casts EU As “Foe” On Trade. <#S6>

• Trump: US, Russia “Getting Very Close” On Syria. <#S7>

• Administration Pursuing Direct US-Taliban Talks. <#S8>

• US In Talks With Turkey About Buying Patriot System. <#S9>

• Pompeo, Mnuchin Say US Open To Iran Sanctions Exemptions. <#S10>

• Trump On North Korean Commitments: “I’m In No Rush.” <#S11>

• Obama In Kenya To Promote Half-Sister’s Charity. <#S12>

*Domestic Policy <#SECTION_4>*

• Trump: Obama Had To Know Strzok Was Biased. <#S13>

• Federal Judge Orders Temporary Halt To Deportations Of Reunited Families.
<#S14>

• More Protests Planned In Chicago Following Police Shooting. <#S15>

• FCC Chairman Voices “Serious Concerns” With Sinclair-Tribune Deal. <#S16>

• Republicans Plan Another Round Of Tax Cuts Before Midterms. <#S17>

• Raft Of Democratic Challengers Outpaced GOP Incumbents In Q2 Fundraising.
<#S18>

• Bourdain Blasted Clintons’ Treatment Of Women Who Accused Bill. <#S19>

*Cancer Research <#SECTION_5>*

• Administration Opposes Request To Move Suit Over Reduction In Cancer Drug
Prices. <#S20>

• Oklahoma To Require Insurers To Cover 3-D Mammograms As Of November 1.
<#S21>

*Editorials/Op-Eds <#SECTION_6>*

• New York Times. <#S22>

• Washington Post. <#S23>
Biden in the News
Biden Rips Trump Over Remarks At Press Conference With Putin.

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=002-faf&t=c>
(7/16, Folley) reported that former Vice President Joe Biden “slammed
President Trump on Monday for refusing to denounce Russian interference in
the 2016 election in front of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.” Biden is
quoted as saying in a Monday Facebook post, “Today’s press conference was
beneath the dignity of the Office of the President. The President’s words
do not reflect what Americans think and who we are.” Biden is further
quoted as saying, “Today our President had the chance to confront an
adversary who has attacked — and continues to attack – our democracy and
our allies. He could have stood up for American interests and values. He
chose not to.” In a dispatch highlighting various US officials’ statements
about Trump’s remarks at the press conference, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=003-888&t=c>
(7/16) reports that Biden said “Trump ‘insulted our friends and made common
cause with our adversaries.’ The Democrat, who is said to be considering a
2020 presidential bid,” called “on Americans to ‘speak out’ and make it
clear that ‘we believe in democracy over dictatorship.’”

In a story that highlights reactions to Trump’s comments, the
Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=004-3e1&t=c>
(7/16, Boyer, Miller) reports Biden said Trump “failed to stand up for
America. ‘He embraced our No. 1 adversary, blamed America rather than
Russian aggression for the deterioration in our bilateral relations,
trashed his own justice department and put Putin’s word above that of our
own intelligence community whose leaders he appointed,’ he said.” In a
similar article. Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=005-d34&t=c>
(7/16, Cowan) quotes Biden as saying of Trump’s remarks, “Flattering
dictators will not advance American interests. It makes us less safe.”
Zogby: Biden Currently “Has The Strongest Case” For 2020 Democratic
Nomination.

In his column for Forbes
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=006-287&t=c>
(7/16), pollster John Zogby discussed the coming fight for the 2020
Democratic presidential nomination, saying that former Vice President Joe
Biden “has the strongest case for the nomination at this point in time.
First, he left office with higher popularity than when he entered. ...
Second, Mr. Biden can make the case to both wings of the Democratic Party
that he has fought for all constituent groups that comprise the party –
especially women, non-whites, union members, environmentalists, to name a
few. Thirdly, any of his negatives have already been vetted thoroughly, as
far as we know.” Zogby added, “Finally, and perhaps most powerfully, is
that we can picture [Biden] standing on the stage with Trump at the
Presidential debates giving back as good as he gets and laughing at all the
right times.”

In a story that largely focuses on comments by Zogby and Trump
campaign pollster John McLaughlin about Trump’s odds of winning reelection,
the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=007-379&t=c>
(7/16, Bedard) reports that Zogby, in an interview, “said that if the
Democrats pick a fresh new candidate, Trump will win. ‘I think that Trump
crushes a new face,’ said Zogby. His pick: the Democratic Party’s elder
statesman, former Vice President Joe Biden, who he said could flick off
Trump attacks with humor. ‘I can see Biden standing up there and saying,
‘Oh Donald, don’t be ridiculous. Look what we accomplished.’”
Biden Slated To Address Southwestern Michigan Economic Club On Oct. 16.

The St. Joseph (MI) Herald Palladium
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=008-a45&t=c>
(7/17) reports that former Vice President Joe Biden “will kick off the
Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan Speaker Series as the club
celebrates its 75th season.” Biden is slated to “speak Oct. 16, according
to an Econ Club news release issued Monday. Others in the lineup are Wes
Moore, CEO of Robin Hood, Army combat veteran and best-selling author, Nov.
14; Chuck Todd, NBC News political director and host of ‘Meet the Press’
and ‘MTP Daily,’ March 26, 2019; and Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of
Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit organization working to close the
gender gap in technology, April 9, 2019.”
Leading the News
Media Analyses: Trump Sides With Putin, Against US Intelligence On Election
Meddling.

Media coverage of the President Trump’s joint press conference
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=009-2a8&t=c>
with President Putin is extremely unfavorable. Reports brimming with
outrage cast Trump as siding with Putin in doubting the conclusion of US
intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential
election, and failing to challenge Putin on his denials. Trump later sought
to clarify his position on Twitter, but his efforts did not appear to
affect the tone of the media analyses. Trump wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=00a-b3d&t=c>,
“As I said today and many times before, ‘I have GREAT confidence in MY
intelligence people.’ However, I also recognize that in order to build a
brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past – as the world’s
two largest nuclear powers, we must get along!” In a second tweet, he added
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=00b-fb0&t=c>,
“I would rather take a political risk in pursuit of peace, than to risk
peace in pursuit of politics.” He also wrote
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=00c-8ce&t=c>,
“A productive dialogue is not only good for the United States and good for
Russia, but it is good for the world.” ABC World News Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=00d-d21&t=c>
(7/16, story 3, 2:40, Karl) reported Trump’s “senior advisers are keenly
aware this did not go well,” and “are pointing to the President’s tweet on
the way back to Washington...an effort begin the cleanup process.”

In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=00e-dbc&t=c>
(7/16), Trump said, “First of all,” Putin “said there was no collusion
whatsoever. I guess he said it as strongly as you can say it. They have no
information on Trump. ... And one thing you know, if they had it, it would
have been out. ... And he also said there’s absolutely no collusion, which
you know, and everybody that watches this show knows, and I think most of
the country knows.” Trump added, “I think it’s a shame. We are talking
about nuclear proliferation, we are talking about Syria and humanitarian
aid, we are talking about these different things, and we get questions on
the witch hunt. And I don’t think the people out in the country buy it, but
the reporters like to give it a shot. I thought that President Putin was
very, very strong.”

At any rate, as the Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=00f-23d&t=c>
(7/16, Caruso) puts it, “members of the establishment media were stunned”
by the press conference. On CNN[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=010-475&t=c>
(7/16), Anderson Cooper said that it was “one of the most disgraceful
performances by an American President at a summit,” and on ABC News[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=011-75d&t=c>
(7/16), Terry Moran called the press conference “astonishing,” adding, “For
those who might have been hoping for any kind of statement of defense of
the American voters...from the President of the United States, you got
quite the opposite.” Norah O’Donnell said on CBS News[image: Image removed
by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=012-4b9&t=c>
(7/16), “They were almost chummy, as if they were allies, the way they
talked about one another and the way they wanted to move forward in the
future.”

Major Garrett said on CBS News[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=013-13c&t=c>
(7/16), “You cannot have confidence in American intelligence agencies who
have come to this conclusion uniformly and then say, ‘Well, Russia denied
it, why would they even think about doing it?’ They’re incompatible. They
are utterly incompatible.” Jim Acosta said on CNN[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=014-474&t=c>
(7/16) that it was “astonishing, just astonishing to be in the room with
the US President and with the Russian President on this critical question
of election interference and to hear the President of the United States
retreat back to these talking points about DNC servers and Hillary
Clinton’s emails when he had a chance right there in front of us, right
there in front of the world to confront Vladimir Putin and tell him to stay
the hell out of American democracy, and he just didn’t do it.”

Mark Landler writes for the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=015-fd0&t=c>
(7/16, Landler) that Trump “made one thing clear” that “he is willing to
take Mr. Putin’s word over those of his own intelligence agencies. ... Such
an admission by a president sworn to be the principal defender of the
Constitution and America’s sovereignty in the world is extraordinary
enough. But it was only one of several statements made by Mr. Trump, the
likes of which no other American president has ever uttered on foreign
soil.”

Andrea Mitchell said on NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=016-5ef&t=c>
(7/16, story 4, 0:50, Holt) that Trump “showed he was not willing to stand
up to the Russian leader,” and “foreign diplomats are saying for the first
time in 70 years they cannot depend on an American President. That creates
a real crisis for American foreign policy.” ABC World News Tonight[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=017-abe&t=c>
(7/16, lead story, 6:05, Moran) reported that “the message” from the summit
“is that the world needs to adjust to a hard fact of life, this President
has decided to shift American foreign policy away from the traditional
allies, the western democracies and get closer to Moscow and the Kremlin.” NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=018-6f9&t=c>
(7/16, story 9, 1:10, Holt) similarly reported that “Trump is heading
home...leaving this part of the world spinning in unfamiliar directions.
It’s been a trip unlike any other by an American President in which Mr.
Trump realigned our long-held concepts of friends and adversaries – the EU
a foe, Russia to be trusted.”

ABC World News Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=019-cef&t=c>
(7/16, story 2, 3:30, Thomas) reported that “a number of sources” in the
intelligence community “said their jaws dropped, they could believe that
the President would take Putin’s opinion over theirs.” The CBS Evening
News[image:
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<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=01a-f23&t=c>
(7/16, lead story, 4:05, Garrett) said that in a “first,” Trump “appeared
to side with Putin over US intelligence agencies,” and NBC Nightly News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=01b-df0&t=c>
(7/16, lead story, 5:10, Holt) described Trump as “appearing to place his
trust in Putin over his own intelligence agencies,” and “potentially
emboldening Russia to try and undermine future elections.”

CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour said on CNN’s
Anderson Cooper 360[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=01c-17e&t=c>
(7/16), “I don’t think there is any question that it was a massive train
wreck and pulling out of this and trying to reconstruct American
credibility is going to be incredibly difficult.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=01d-7a3&t=c>
(7/16, Nussbaum) says Trump “publicly sided with...Putin over his own
intelligence agencies,” which the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=01e-9c8&t=c>
(7/16, Morrongiello) calls a “stunning admission,” and USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=01f-cb6&t=c>
(7/16, Korte, Fritze) says that “in siding with Putin, Trump took the word
of a former KGB agent over the assessment of US intelligence agencies under
two administrations and the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence
Committee.”

Meanwhile, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=020-2d9&t=c>
(7/16) refers to “a remarkable news conference” in which “Trump stopped
short of saying he believed Mr. Putin more than he did his own aides about
Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 election.” The Times says Trump’s
“ambivalence...represents a remarkable divergence between Mr. Trump and the
American national security apparatus.” The Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=021-1b8&t=c>
(7/16, Ballhaus) reports that when asked whom he believed – US intelligence
agencies or Putin – Trump said, “[Director of National Intelligence] Dan
Coats came to me. They said, they think it’s Russia. I have President
Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this, I don’t see any
reason why it would be.” Jonathan Karl said on ABC News[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=022-65d&t=c>
(7/16), “It seemed to be not only that he felt that Putin’s denial was
strong and powerful: he accepted the denial. Really extraordinary moment,
an extraordinary joint press conference.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=023-bc2&t=c>
(7/16, Rucker, Troianovski, Kim) reports Trump’s “failure to directly
confront” Putin on the meddling allegations “stunned Washington’s national
security establishment and drew stern rebukes from leaders of both
political parties.” In their private meeting Monday, Putin “apparently
persuaded Trump to discount the findings of his own intelligence agencies.”
Trump, the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=024-553&t=c>
(7/16, Lemire, Colvin, Isachenkov) reports, “openly questioned his own
intelligence agencies’ conclusions” and “seemed to accept Putin’s
insistence that Russia’s hands were clean.” Said Trump, “I have great
confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President
Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”

Bret Baier said on Fox News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=025-a7b&t=c>
(7/16), “The President brought up the interference and the meddling, he
brought up sticky issues with Russia. But the way that he dealt with it,
defending himself, really not going after...Putin was pretty interesting to
watch.” Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said on NBC News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=026-88a&t=c>
(7/16), “It was easy. He could have hit it out of the park. He could have
pushed back. He could have agreed with his own intelligence team. He had
the opportunity to do it and he decided not to. He obviously decided not to
do that and I was deeply disappointed by that.”

Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=027-79f&t=c>
(7/16, Mason) says Trump “said not a single critical word about Moscow on
any of the issues that have brought relations between the two powers to the
lowest ebb since the Cold War.” Margaret Brennan said on CBS News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=028-bd7&t=c>
(7/16), “It is stunning...that there was not one issue of substance that
the President of the United States laid out. He just spoke about himself, a
defense of his own election, and seemed to be characterizing all of this,
the Mueller probe, all of it, as an investigation as to whether or not he
should be President.” Kristin Welker similarly said on NBC News[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=029-57a&t=c>
(7/16), “The big moment for me was when President Trump was asked to flatly
denounce Russian meddling, to say to Putin that it won’t be tolerated, and
he didn’t do it. Instead, he again went back to those familiar talking
points, blaming the Democrats, trying to shift the subject, talking about
the fact that he ran this fantastic campaign, and missed an opportunity to
say, ‘This is not going to be tolerated.’”

The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=02a-29c&t=c>
(7/16, Fabian) says Trump’s performance “earned him instant condemnation
from his critics who say he has too close of a relationship with the
Russian leader.” John Roberts said on Fox News[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=02b-9e0&t=c>
(7/16), “Critics will look at this and say, nothing came of this except
that the President looked like he was cozying up to Vladimir Putin.
Supporters of the President say it was probably a good thing when you
consider how bad an adversarial relationship between the United States and
Russia could be that you do open lines of communication.” Mary Kissel
likewise said on Fox News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=02c-70c&t=c>
(7/16), “I think that the President came off as wanting to have more
meetings and going to Putin and asking for Putin’s help, when really, we
should be in that position of having Putin coming to us and asking us to
ease up on him.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=02d-9c2&t=c>
(7/16, Lemire, Colvin, Isachenkov) reports that for his part, Putin said he
did want Trump to win the election, “but took no action during the campaign
to make it happen.” In fact, the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=02e-5e9&t=c>
(7/16, Boyer, Miller) reports Putin insisted that “the Russian state has
never interfered and is not going to interfere” in US elections. When asked
by a reporter what proof could be offer to exonerate Russia, Putin
“challenged the reporter to ‘name a single fact that proves’ Russian
involvement.” The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=02f-e26&t=c>
(7/16, Nelson) says the Russian leader also “invited special counsel Robert
Mueller to submit legal paperwork against the accused Russians, so that the
Russian government can facilitate interrogations.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=030-960&t=c>
(7/16, Schwirtz, Vogel) reports that “in exchange...the United States would
also have to permit Russian law enforcement officials to take part in
interrogations of people ‘who have something to do with illegal actions on
the territory of Russia.’” Trump “singled out one man in particular:
William F. Browder,” a “London-based financier, who has led a global human
rights crusade against the Kremlin that has resulted in sanctions being
leveled against numerous Russian officials.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=031-431&t=c>
(7/16, Murray) reports Putin also “sidestepped a question asking whether he
has compromising material” on Trump, calling the possibility just “rumors.”
Said the Russian leader, “Yeah, I did hear these rumors that we allegedly
collected compromising material on Mr. Trump when he was visiting Moscow.
Please disregard these issues and don’t think about this anymore again.”

The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=032-3bb&t=c>
(7/16, Charlton, Heintz) reports that Russian media cast Monday’s summit
“as a heartening step forward, with the Kremlin leader as the more
prominent figure.” After the leaders’ joint news conference, Russian media
“also took some swipes at American journalists for their purported
obsession with Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.” CNN
senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen said on CNN’s
Situation Room[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=033-ee4&t=c>
(7/16) that the Russians are “taking a victory lap after this. Right after
the summit finished, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, came out
and said that the meeting was magnificent, that it was better than good.”
Pleitgen added that “analysts and politicians in Russia [are] flat-out
praising President Trump for some of the things he’s said.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=034-335&t=c>
(7/16, Higgins, Erlanger) reports that “Putin did not get...Trump to
endorse his seizure of Crimea, lift sanctions, halt a new arms race that
Moscow can ill afford or cut a deal on any of the other issues that have so
poisoned relations between Russia and the United States.” Yet he “did get
what he needed most from the meeting in Helsinki: a statement by...Trump
that, whatever America’s intelligence community might say about meddling by
Moscow in the 2016 election...Putin is welcome back in the club of global
leaders.”

*Trump Condemns Mueller Probe, Says It Stems From Democrats’ Anger
Over Clinton Loss. *In what it calls “a stunning news conference,” the Los
Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=035-9d8&t=c>
(7/16, Stokols) reports Trump “more than once...condemned the probe of
special counsel Robert S. Mueller III,” and “lamented the ‘cloud’ the
investigation has cast over his victory” against Hillary Clinton. Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=036-d67&t=c>
(7/16, Spiering) says Trump “blamed the Russia investigation for
introducing complications into the relationship between the two countries.”
Said the President, “I think the probe is a disaster for our country. I
think it’s kept us apart, it’s kept us separated.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=037-376&t=c>
(7/16, Boyer, Miller) reports Trump “said the Mueller probe stemmed from
Democrats making excuses for Hillary Clinton’s upset election loss.” Said
Trump, “It was a clean campaign. I beat Hillary Clinton easily. ... It is a
shame that there can be even a little bit of a cloud over it.”

NBC Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=038-c74&t=c>
(7/16, story 5, 2:15, Williams) reported Mueller “has been the special
counsel for 14 months, racking up a string of guilty pleas and indictments.
He’s twice charged individual Russians by name with election meddling.
Thirteen Russians and three Russian companies accused of a disinformation
campaign on social media.” Moreover, “in the latest charges, Russian
intelligence officers are accused of hacking into campaign computers and
leaking stolen e-mails to embarrass the Democrats, an operation prosecutors
say has a clear connection to the Russian government.”

*Democrats “Apoplectic”; McCain, Flake, Graham, Sasse, Rubio,
Corker Among GOP Critics. *CQ Roll Call
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=039-4f0&t=c>
(7/16, Connolly) reports Democrats were “apoplectic at the president’s
responses.” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=03a-18e&t=c>
(7/16, Stolberg, Fandos) says “Republicans across the ideological spectrum
delivered pointed rebukes” to Trump, though “no Republican in Congress
pledged any particular action to punish Mr. Trump, such as holding up his
nominees, nor did they promise hearings or increased oversight.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=03b-6f0&t=c>
(7/16, Fritze, Korte, Jackson) said that “the bipartisan blow back extended
beyond the usual GOP critics of Trump,” and Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=03c-e10&t=c>
(7/16, Dennis, House) refers to a “growing number of Republican lawmakers”
expressing criticism. However, the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=03d-495&t=c>
(7/16, Sonmez) reports that many of the “sharp rebukes” came from
Republican lawmakers who “are retiring,” and the AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=03e-1fa&t=c>
(7/16, Mascaro) says that “the Republican rebuke from Capitol Hill came
largely from those lawmakers who have been willing to openly criticize the
president.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=03f-2a2&t=c>
(7/16, Schor, Everett) reports “few Republicans echoed [Sen. John] McCain’s
tone of disgust,” and that “forceful comments from Republicans are still
relegated to a minority of frequent critics of Trump and retiring GOP
lawmakers.”

Sens. Jeff Flake and Lindsey Graham were “critical of Trump’s
performance as well.” Flake tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=040-8df&t=c>,
“I never thought I would see the day when our American President would
stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United
States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.” Flake later said on
CNN[image:
Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=041-e85&t=c>
(7/16), “I have to tell you I was just floored by it. My expectations
weren’t that high. I worried about what the President might promise during
the private meeting. I certainly didn’t expect to hear what we all heard
during the press conference.”

Graham, Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=042-cd7&t=c>
(7/16) reports, said Trump’s performance will send Moscow a message of US
“weakness.” The senator tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=043-715&t=c>,
“Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable
for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warning regarding future elections.
This answer by President Trump will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness
and create far more problems than it solves.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=044-6c4&t=c>
(7/16) reports McCain called Trump’s press conference “one of the most
disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.”

Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=045-1fa&t=c>
(7/16, Schor, Everett) reports Speaker Ryan “emphasized that he disagreed
with Trump but declined to criticize the president directly.” USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=046-ce8&t=c>
(7/16, Estepa) reports, however, that in a “strongly worded statement,” he
“blasted the president’s apparent acceptance of Putin’s denial that Russia
had interfered in the 2016 presidential election.” Said Ryan, “There is no
question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to
undermine democracy here and around the world. The president must
appreciate that Russia is not our ally.”

The CBS Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=047-9f9&t=c>
(7/16, story 3, 3:00, Brennan) showed Sen. Marco Rubio saying, “What the
President said, what he said today is not accurate. The intelligence
community has assembled probably an unparalleled amount of evidence.” Sen.
Bob Corker said, “The President’s comments made us look as a nation more
like a pushover, and I was disappointed in that.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=048-ed1&t=c>
(7/16, Wagner) reports “the top two Democrats in Congress suggested Monday
that...Trump’s performance...signaled that Russia has damaging information
on the US leader.” House Minority Leader Pelosi said, “Trump’s weakness in
front of Putin was embarrassing, and proves that the Russians have
something on the president, personally, financially or politically.” Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer “was less direct but raised the same prospect
in a statement issued shortly after Trump and Putin concluded a remarkable
news conference in Helsinki at the end of a summit that both said included
discussion of Russian interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential election.”
Said Schumer, “Millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only
possible explanation for this dangerous behavior is the possibility that
President Putin holds damaging information over...Trump.” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=049-d18&t=c>
(7/16, Everett), the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=04a-563&t=c>
(7/16, Swoyer) and CQ Roll Call (DC)
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=04b-ef8&t=c>
(7/16, Bennett), among other news outlets, also note the Democratic
leaders’ comments.

Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=04c-d33&t=c>,
“This entire trip has just been one giant middle finger from President
Trump to his own country. Just jaw dropping.” Murphy later said on CNN’s
The Lead[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=04d-c0e&t=c>
(7/16), “My mouth is still agape at what I saw today in part because the
bar was so low for this press conference. All Trump needed to do was offer
some mild push-back against the election interference, say something about
the need for Russia to withdraw from eastern Ukraine and Crimea. He
couldn’t do any of that and today the country is stunned and the whole
world is stunned and America is a whole lot weaker than we were going into
today.”

Sen. Ron Wyden tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=04e-3b1&t=c>,
“Russia attacked our democracy, murders people around the world with
impunity, seized territory from a sovereign nation and shot down an
airplane full of civilians. But @realDonaldTrump holds ‘both countries
responsible.’ This is a national embarrassment.”

The Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=04f-d36&t=c>
(7/16, Yilek) reports several Democrats suggested that Trump failed to
criticize Putin because the Russian leader has “damaging information” on
him. Sen. Jeff Merkley told BuzzFeed News’ “AM to DM” show, “I think it’s
likely.” Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=050-706&t=c>
(7/16, Key) also reports Merkley’s comments. The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=051-0fd&t=c>
(7/16, Swoyer) reports House Minority Leader Pelosi similarly “suggested
the Kremlin is blackmailing...Trump.” Pelosi tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=052-490&t=c>,
“Every single day, I find myself asking: what do the Russians have on
@realDonaldTrump personally, financially, & politically? The answer to that
question is that only thing that explains his behavior & his refusal to
stand up to Putin. #ABetterDeal.”

*Gingrich: “Most Serious Mistake” Of Trump’s Presidency. *NBC
Nightly News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=053-d4b&t=c>
(7/16, story 2, 3:30, Jackson) reported “even some of the President’s
friends are not happy with what happened. Newt Gingrich, for example, is
saying the President should clarify his comments, calling them ‘the most
serious mistake of his presidency.’”

*Coats Insists Russia Meddled In 2016 Election. *Bloomberg News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=054-3e8&t=c>
(7/16, Sink, Talev, Arkhipov, Jacobs) reports Trump’s comments “provoked a
rare on-the-record rebuttal from Trump’s own intelligence director.” In a
statement, USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=055-ae2&t=c>
(7/16, Groppe, Estepa) reports, Coats said the intelligence community has
“been clear in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and
their ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will
continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support of
our national security.” The Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=056-980&t=c>
(7/16, Boyer), Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=057-8ff&t=c>
(7/16, Toosi), Washington Free Beacon
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=058-450&t=c>
(7/16, Heretik) and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=059-2e7&t=c>
(7/16, Chalfant), among other news outlets, also run articles on Coats’
statement, which the Washington Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=05a-f4c&t=c>
(7/16, Morrongiello) describes as “sternly worded.”

The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=05b-063&t=c>
(7/16, Rosenberg) reports “few other currently serving intelligence
officials were willing to speak publicly about Mr. Trump’s remarks,” and
“those that would talk spoke only on the condition of anonymity for fear of
jeopardizing their careers.” However, “all were unanimous in saying that
they and their colleagues were aghast at how Mr. Trump had handled himself
with Mr. Putin.” The Times adds that “one official summed up what appeared
to be the consensus view, saying that it was clear whose side Mr. Trump was
on, and ‘it isn’t ours.’”

*Brennan: Trump’s Remarks “Nothing Short Of Treasonous.” *The
Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=05c-8ec&t=c>
(7/16, Swoyer) reports former CIA Director John Brennan called Trump’s
press conference “treasonous.” Brennan, “who has often been a critic of the
president,” tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=05d-199&t=c>,
“Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds
the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors.’ It was nothing short of
treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the
pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???” The Daily Caller
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=05e-98e&t=c>
(7/16, Ross) also reports Brennan’s reaction.

*Rand Paul, Hannity, Carlson, Coulter Among Trump Defenders. *Mara
Liasson said on Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=05f-741&t=c>
(7/16), “I haven’t seen anyone rushing to the President’s defense and
saying what he did in Helsinki was good and held up the interests of the
United States.” However, the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=060-37f&t=c>
(7/16, Press) reports Sen. Rand Paul said “critics of...Trump’s approach to
Russia are ‘mistaken’ and points out that the United States has also picked
sides in other countries’ elections.” Paul also said “lawmakers and former
intelligence officials criticizing Trump include those from both parties
who are opposed to his presidency. He calls it ‘Trump derangement
syndrome.’” Politico
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=061-ff9&t=c>
(7/16, Everett, Schor) quotes Paul as saying, “It’s gotten so ridiculous
that someone has to stand up and say we should try to engage even our
adversaries and open up our lines of communication. ... We’re going to talk
to the president about some small steps in order to try to thaw the
relations between our countries.” Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=062-101&t=c>
(7/16, Binder) notes Paul also said of the summit, “I would say that this
was significant diplomacy. It has to be that the neocons aren’t very happy
because Trump sounded pretty reasonable. And I think Trump won on this.”

Sean Hannity said on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by
sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=063-886&t=c>
(7/16) that “it was all a predetermined outcome. It didn’t matter what
happened at today’s meeting. Your mainstream media, just blind hatred for
President Trump and they long predetermined that anything the President
does is terrible. It’s devastating, apocalyptic. And at this point, they
are just a broken record.” Hannity added that “we all know the truth. US
diplomacy is in good hands, in spite of what they tell you.”

Tucker Carlson said on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight[image: Image
removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=064-ce9&t=c>
(7/16), “I’m in no way defending Russia, with which I have no connection
whatsoever. I’m basically agnostic and I take it as a matter of faith that
they seek to influence the US government, undermine our elections. None of
that surprises me at all. I just don’t understand why Russia uniquely is
considered an unacceptable partner for conversation while at the same time
we are happy to have close intimate relations with Saudi Arabia, for
example, the government of China for example, both more repressive than the
government of Russia. I’m missing this. Why the emphasis on Russia?”

Breitbart
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=065-ed2&t=c>
(7/16, Binder) reports Ann Coulter “says the establishment media,
Republican Party, and Democrat reaction to...Trump’s historic summit...is
‘exactly like’ the hysteria that followed the president’s call for a travel
ban from a handful of Muslim-majority countries.” Interviewed by talk radio
host Howie Carr, Coulter “said the establishment media and both political
parties are reaching a level of outrage that has not been seen since
Trump’s announcement in 2015 that he would implement an immigration ban
from a handful of countries with Islamic terrorism issues.”

NYU Russian studies professor emeritus Stephen Cohen said on Fox
News Tucker Carlson Tonight[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=066-762&t=c>
(7/16), “The reaction by the most of the media, by the Democrats, by the
anti-Trump people is like mob violence. I have never seen anything like it
in my life. This is the President of the United States doing what every
President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt did in 1943 with Stalin – meeting
with the head of the Kremlin. Every President since Eisenhower, a
Republican by the way, met with the leader of the Kremlin for one
existential purpose – to avoid war between the two nuclear super powers.”

*Editorial Pages Slam Trump. *Fierce criticism of Trump is
prevalent across major newspapers’ editorial pages today. In an editorial
titled “The Trump First Doctrine,” the Wall Street Journal
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=067-765&t=c>
(7/16, Board) criticizes Trump’s performance throughout his European trip,
and in particular says his statements during yesterday’s press conference
were equivalent to showing weakness in front of Putin. The Washington
Examiner
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=068-748&t=c>
(7/16) was also displeased by Trump, and under the headline “Trump Caves To
Putin,” it editorialized that “standing beside a smiling...Putin, Trump
proved himself weak.”

Under the headline “Trump Just Colluded With Russia,” the Washington
Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=069-9c1&t=c>
(7/16) writes in an editorial that Trump uttered “a series of statements
that could have been scripted by Moscow.” Moreover, “in refusing to
acknowledge the plain facts about Russia’s behavior, while trashing his own
country’s justice system, Mr. Trump in fact was openly colluding with the
criminal leader of a hostile power.”

In an editorial, the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=06a-012&t=c>
(7/16) accuses Trump of engaging in “immoral equivalence,” and adds that
“even in a presidency replete with self-defeating moments for the United
States, Mr. Trump’s comments on Monday, which were broadcast live around
the world, stand out.” The Times concludes, “All that’s clear is that a
president who is way out of his depth is getting America into deep
trouble.”

Thomas L. Friedman writes in the New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=06b-61c&t=c>
(7/16) that “Trump is either an asset of Russian intelligence or really
enjoys playing one on TV. Everything that happened in Helsinki today only
reinforces that conclusion. My fellow Americans, we are in trouble and we
have some big decisions to make.” Friedman further accuses Trump of
engaging in “treasonous behavior.”

Eugene Robinson writes in the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=06c-474&t=c>
(7/16), “Trump is succeeding wildly in one clear, if unannounced,
objective: to Make Russia Great Again.” To Robinson, a “more sinister
explanation for Trump’s fanboy behavior is that Putin knows something that
Trump desperately does not want revealed.”

Ruth Marcus, also in the Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=06d-e6d&t=c>
(7/16), writes, “Everyone who works for...Trump: Quit now. Save your souls.
Save your honor, such as it is. Save your reputation, such as it remains.
Russia attacked our democracy. Trump has demonstrated repeatedly, and did
so again with...Putin in Helsinki, that he doesn’t care and won’t defend
his country. If you work for this man and you call yourself a patriot, it
is time for you to go.”

Donna Brazile writes in USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=06e-641&t=c>
(7/16) that Trump’s “behavior toward Putin in Helsinki and his treatment of
our allies last week increasingly suggest he has something to hide.
Something we need to learn about soon.”

*Protester Was Removed From Press Conference. *The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=06f-066&t=c>
(7/16, Lemire) reports that a protester was escorted out of the joint press
conference between Trump and Putin. The individual, who was “seated with
the American press corps in Helsinki, was holding a sign about nuclear
weapons.” He identified himself as a reporter from the liberal magazine
“The Nation.” According to USA Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=070-13e&t=c>
(7/16, Estepa, Korte), the man held up a sign that read “Nuclear Weapons
Ban Treaty.”

*Putin: “A Lot Of Things Changed For The Better During Today’s
Meeting.” *Fox News’ Special Report[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=071-457&t=c>
(7/16) aired the entirety of Chris Wallace’s interview with Putin. Wallace
first asked Putin how the US-Russian relationship has changed after
Monday’s summit. Putin responded by saying that the two leaders discussed
counterterrorism efforts, the conflict in Syria, the Iran nuclear program,
“what we can do to improve the situation with North Korea.” Putin
continued, “So we can say there are several issues of crucial importance
for us. We are starting to achieve some understanding, which gives us
sufficient ground to say that a lot of things changed for the better during
today’s meeting.”

Wallace said[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=072-fe9&t=c>
to Putin that there “are many theories...about why President Trump is so
reluctant to criticize you. ... One is that you have something on him The
other is that as a skilled politician and former KGB officer, you know how
to play him. ... And my question is, do you find President Trump easy to
deal with?” Putin responded in part by saying, “I don’t want to insult
President Trump when I say this...but before he announced that he would run
for presidency, he was of no interest for us.” Putin added that “unlike”
the US, Russia doesn’t “have enough resources, we don’t have enough
manpower” to spy on all businessmen that come to Russia. Putin said,
“That’s not part of our plan and it’s clear that we did nothing of that
kind against Mr. Trump.”

*Putin Says Trump Told Him Crimea Is Part Of Ukraine. *When asked
if Trump told him that he might recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea or
lift sanctions for that, Putin said[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=073-d13&t=c>
(7/16) Russia didn’t annex Crimea. Instead, he continued, the people of
Crimea voted in a referendum to join Russia. He added, “We are aware of
President Trump’s posture that Crimea is part of Ukraine. He told me this
today. I responded with the words pretty much similar to what I said to
you.”

*Putin Gave Trump A Soccer Ball. *Townhall
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=074-005&t=c>
(7/16, Pavlich) recounts that “near the end of the press conference, Putin
handed...Trump a soccer ball and said, ‘The ball is in your court.’” Trump
“then threw it to first lady Melania Trump, who was sitting in the front
row, and said it will be great for his son Barron.” The AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=075-4ae&t=c>
(7/16, Mascaro) notes that Sen. Lindsay Graham “quipped that Trump ought to
check a soccer ball Putin gave to Trump for listening devices, ‘and never
allow it in the White House.’” The New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=076-eb8&t=c>
(7/16, Rogers) reports that “according to analysts and lawmakers who
watched the Monday news conference,” the ball “was a metaphor for the
gamesmanship that Mr. Putin’s many critics say he is well-versed in – and
for how he has scored points against an ill-prepared American leader in
this high-stakes diplomatic exercise.”

*Woman Who Sought Trump-Putin Meeting Charged As Russian Agent. *The
New York Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=077-dfb&t=c>
(7/16, Apuzzo, Benner, Lafraniere) reports that a Russian woman “who tried
to broker a pair of secret meetings” between candidate Trump and Putin
during the 2016 presidential campaign “was charged Monday and accused of
carrying out a secret Russian effort to influence American politics.” The
Justice Department said in court documents that Mariia Butina sought to
establish “back channel” lines of communication with American politicians
that “could be used by the Russian Federation to penetrate the US national
decision-making apparatus to advance the agenda of the Russian Federation.”
The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=078-505&t=c>
(7/16, Jackman, Helderman) reports Butina, 29, was arrested Sunday in the
District and made her first appearance in US District Court before
Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson. Her attorney, Robert Neil Driscoll,
told the judge that Butina had testified before the Senate Intelligence
Committee “in a closed session several months ago,” and that “we have been
offering to cooperate with the government the entire time.”

According to Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=079-3d8&t=c>
(7/16, Lynch), Butina, a student at American University, is “accused of
working at the direction of a high-level official who worked for the
Russian Central Bank and was recently sanctioned by the US Treasury’s
Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Justice Department said in a
statement.” The court documents do not name the official. The Washington
Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=07a-2c5&t=c>
(7/16, Scarborough) and The Hill
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=07b-3dc&t=c>
(7/16, Beavers), among other news outlets, also report the story.

*UK Poisoning Victim’s Brother: Nerve Agent Was In Perfume Bottle. *USA
Today
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=07c-2ad&t=c>
(7/16, Onyanga-Omara) reports that the “Soviet-made nerve agent that killed
a woman and left three other people critically ill” in Britain was
“contained in a perfume bottle, the brother of one of the victims said.”
Matthew Rowley, whose brother Charlie was sickened last month, told the BBC
in an interview that his brother “said he picked up a perfume bottle that
contained” the Novichok nerve agent.

*Trump Touts Foreign Policy Accomplishments Under His Watch. *The CBS
Evening News[image: Image removed by sender. Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=07d-c84&t=c>
(7/16, story 4, 4:10, Glor) ran its interview with Trump, conducted in
Scotland over the weekend. Said Trump, “I think we’re perceived as a much
stronger nation now than we were two years ago. I think two years ago, we
were apologizing for everything. We were not doing certain things we should
have been doing. Our trade deals were disaster. We’re doing them, and we’re
going to make them very successful, and we’re going to make them fair for
our countries and other countries. But we were in so many different ways in
such bad shape. North Korea, you look at us now compared to what we were
two years ago.”

*Trump Defends Calling Media “Enemy Of The People.” *Trump said
during his interview on Fox News’ Hannity[image: Image removed by sender.
Video]
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=07e-10c&t=c>
(7/16), “When I say enemy of the people I am not talking about all of the
media. I am talking about, there is a big percentage of media, when you
look at CNN, how false their reports are, when you look at NBC and some of
the others, when you read the New York Times, it is just story after story
that has just a negative spin. And we are doing great things. We have the
greatest economy in the history of our country. We have the best
unemployment numbers in the history of our country. The best
African-American unemployment numbers in history, Hispanic numbers in
history, women’s numbers in history.”
Foreign Policy
Trump Touts “Truly Great” NATO Summit.

President Trump tweeted
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=07f-d37&t=c>
Monday morning, “Received many calls from leaders of NATO countries
thanking me for helping to bring them together and to get them focused on
financial obligations, both present & future. We had a truly great Summit
that was inaccurately covered by much of the media. NATO is now strong &
rich!”

Trump said on [image: Image removed by sender. Video]Fox News’
Hannity
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=080-389&t=c>
(7/16), “I was amazed at the media because honestly, I was there for a day
and a half, and it started right when I got there, and I was very
respectful but I told people it’s unfair. The United States could be paying
for 91 percent. Okay. Could be. The minimum is 70 percent, but it is
probably 91 percent. So if we are paying 91 percent of the cost of keeping
Europe safe. On top of that, the European Union takes total advantage of us
with tariffs and trade barriers. ... And I said it’s not going to be that
way anymore. You’ve got to pay up.” [image: Image removed by sender. Video]
Later
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=081-e21&t=c>
(7/16) in the interview, Trump said, “I raised 44 billion and the Secretary
General said he raised 44 billion and it was only President Trump because I
said, otherwise, we are going to have to start worrying about our
relationship with NATO. I also said this. NATO is wonderful, but it helps
Europe a lot more than it helps us, and we are paying for 90 percent of it.
So I was amazed that most of the media...said that I was tough, very tough,
and nasty to foreign leaders and I really wasn’t at all. But I did say you
have to pay up.”
Trump Again Casts EU As “Foe” On Trade.

The [image: Image removed by sender. Video]CBS Evening News
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=082-b78&t=c>
(7/16, story 4, 4:10, Glor) reported on Jeff Glor’s interview with
President Trump. When asked who is America’s “biggest competitor” and
“biggest foe globally right now,” Trump responded, “Well, I think we have a
lot of foes. I think European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade.
You wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe. Russia is a
foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly. They’re a
foe. But that doesn’t mean they’re bad. It doesn’t mean anything. It means
that they’re competitors.” Glor: “A lot of people might be surprised to
hear you list the EU as a foe before China and Russia.” Trump: “No, I look
at them all. EU is very difficult. ... You know, I love those countries. I
respect the leaders of those countries. But in a trade sense, they have
really taken advantage of us, and many of those countries are in NATO, and
they weren’t paying their bills.”

The Washington Post
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=083-d39&t=c>
(7/16, Paquette) reports that the EU, for its part, “cast itself as a
peacemaker” on Monday, “with senior officials calling on the United States
and China to mend their commercial relationship and avoid a trade war that
could drag on for years.” European Council President Donald Tusk, speaking
at a Beijing summit between China and the EU, said, “There is still time to
prevent conflict and chaos.” According to the Post, “Beijing officials
seemed less inclined to send a message to the United States.”

*US Files WTO Disputes Over Retaliatory Tariffs. *Reuters
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=084-b0d&t=c>
(7/16) reports the Administration on Monday “launched five separate World
Trade Organization dispute actions” challenging “retaliatory tariffs
imposed by China, the European Union, Canada, Mexico and Turkey” that
affect a combined $28.5 billion in US exports. USTR Lighthizer said in a
statement that the retaliatory tariffs “appear to breach each WTO member’s
commitments under the WTO Agreement.” He cautioned that the US “will take
all necessary actions to protect our interests, and we urge our trading
partners to work constructively with us on the problems created by massive
and persistent excess capacity in the steel and aluminum sectors.”

Lighthizer also “defended Mr. Trump’s action to place original
tariffs, arguing they are justified to protect the U.S. national security,”
the Washington Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=085-b2a&t=c>
(7/16, Muñoz) reports. Lighthizer wrote, “The actions taken by the
President are wholly legitimate and fully justified as a matter of U.S. law
and international trade rules. Instead of working with us to address a
common problem, some of our trading partners have elected to respond with
retaliatory tariffs designed to punish American workers, farmers and
companies.” Meanwhile, “China announced a dispute of its own on Monday,
aimed at the U.S. for proposing additional tariffs on $200 billion in
Chinese goods.”

*China Files WTO Challenge To Administration’s $200B Tariff Plan. *The
AP
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=086-04c&t=c>
(7/16, McDonald) reports China announced Monday that it, too, has filed a
World Trade Organization challenge to President Trump’s” latest tariff
threat, stepping up its diplomatic efforts to counter US pressure in a
spiraling technology dispute.” The Administration “has criticized the WTO
as unable to deal with the problems posed by China, suggesting a challenge
there might have little impact in Washington. But it might help Beijing
rally support from governments that criticized Trump for going outside the
WTO to impose tariffs on Chinese and other imports.” To the AP, the move
“is unusually swift, coming less than one week after the US Trade
Representative proposed 10 percent tariffs on a $200 billion list of
Chinese goods.”

The Los Angeles Times
<http://mailview.bulletinintelligence.com/mailview.aspx?m=2018071701biden&r=email-9e30&l=087-833&t=c>
(7/16, Dixon) says in announcing the WTO filing, China “presented itself as
a bastion of international order and global rules on trade,” but its
broader campaign aims “to capitalize on the U.S.-European divide seen
recently at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Brussels by
wooing European leaders, trying to persuade them to adopt a joint approach
to maximize pressure on the Trump administration to abandon a trade war.”
The Times adds that Beijing’s campaign “has had limited success, with
European leaders also c